Transportation is one of the first things you will want to plan when you’ve settled on Orlando as a destination. There are two things to think about with regards to transportation: getting to Orlando from your home or original destination, and traveling around Orlando once you have arrived.
There are multiple ways to get to the Orlando area. We will cover a few here. We are pretty much speaking strictly for United States (US) residents here, as we don’t have any experience getting to the Orlando area from outside the US.
1) Flying – Flying into the Orlando airport is the most common approach. Most major hubs have daily flights into Orlando (MCO) and the prices tend to be competitive with so many choices. Since we live in the Washington, DC area, we have a choice of three major airports to fly out of (Reagan National – DCA; Dulles – IAD; and Baltimore -BWI). Having more than one airport to choose from gives us a little extra flexibility when it comes to making flight arrangements.
If you fly into Orlando, you can take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express service, which will deliver you from the airport directly to your Disney Resort (if you are staying on property). Disney’s Magical Express is a fleet of Disney charter buses that make round trips between the Orlando airport and Disney properties. Disney’s Magical Express will handle your luggage and allow you to ride in comfort on air-conditioned buses, with onboard TVs that project highlights of the Disney parks and resorts to get you excited for your vacation. Unfortunately, you can’t take advantage of Magical Express if you aren’t staying at a Disney resort hotel. We have used the Magical Express in the past, but mainly rely on renting a car now. We enjoy the flexibility of having our own vehicle to drive to and from the parks and to different resorts for dinner.
If you consider flying, don’t forget about the possibility of flying into a different airport. Flights to Tampa (TPA), Jacksonville (JAX), and maybe even Miami (MIA) might be worth exploring, and there are other possible airports in Florida. Flying into airports other than Orlando would definitely require renting a car and driving 2-4 hours, but you might save enough on airfare to make it worthwhile for your family. There are plenty of places to stop along the major highways between Orlando and the other Florida airports.
2) Driving – Driving to Orlando depends on several factors including distance, driving time, and the size of your traveling party. Distance and time were the biggest factors for us. It’s 13 to 14 hours of driving time each way for us to get from the DC metropolitan area to Orlando, which eats two full days out of our vacation time. We’ve driven a few times either to save money or because of last minute plan changes (more on that later).
Sometimes driving can be more attractive to larger families (flight and luggage costs can add up quickly) or travelers who have special luggage or traveling requirements (for example, families with infants that are traveling with a pack and play and/or stroller).
If you do consider driving, don’t forget to factor in gas, tolls, and meals into your calculations, as well as hotel accommodations if you plan to break the drive up into two or more days.
3) Auto Train – Amtrak runs a train route from Lorton, VA (outside of Washington, DC and close to our home) to Sanford, FL (very close to Orlando). The train accommodates passengers and their vehicles to make the trip up or down the I-95 corridor. One train runs in each direction (one northbound, one southbound) each day). The train begins loading vehicles each day around 1:00 PM, departs around 4:00 PM, and travels through the night. Once you arrive at your destination the next morning (usually around 10:00 AM), you disembark the train and wait for your car to be unloaded. When your car is unloaded from the train, you jump in and head on your way.
Since the trip is overnight, you might be interested in sleeping and eating arrangements. Passengers on the auto train can select coach seating or sleeping cars for their overnight trip. The coach seats are like traveling on a bus for several hours — mostly upright, but with some reclining ability. Coach seating provides you with access to a shared bathroom (toilets and sinks), a dining car for dinner and breakfast, and a lounge car that provides drinks and snacks and an opportunity to mingle with other passengers. Passengers who book a sleeping compartment have their own private space with seats that convert to beds for more traditional sleeping. The sleeping compartments are considered comparable to first class, so sleeping cars have reserved bathrooms (including shower facilities), as well as their own dining car. The sleeping compartments are not large, but they are comfortable enough for an overnight trip.
In terms of dining, Amtrak provides dinner and a continental breakfast for Auto Train passengers. Dinner is in two or three seatings depending on how full the train is; passengers are assigned a dining time during check-in. In the morning, a continental breakfast is served. We found the food surprisingly good, and it was exciting to view the scenery rushing past as we ate.
We’ve taken the Auto Train numerous times and have greatly enjoyed it. It usually ends up costing about the same as flying and renting a car. We consider the Auto Train to be part of the vacation, which is good since it takes about 22 hours from when you arrive at the station to when you get your car at the other end (Noon to 10 am). We always show up early. 🙂
One disadvantage of the Auto Train is that it is subject to random disruptions. We had our trip canceled one year due to a hurricane coming up the east coast. Amtrak called a day or two beforehand to let us know, so we decided to get up early and drive. We manage to miss the storm and had an easy drive because there wasn’t much traffic. Additionally, the Auto Train can experience delays due to disruptions on the Amtrak corridor.
4) Other methods – I’ve had co-workers take a cruise out of Baltimore with an excursion that took them to the Magic Kingdom. That’s one way to get there. Additionally, there is regular passenger train service into Orlando. You might be able to take Greyhound bus service, but we’ve never explored that method either.
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